Waking Up at Hogwarts
by CharlotteGryffindor
Summary: Elaina is 22, and most importantly, a muggle. She fell in love with the Harry Potter books, and always wished they were true. When she finds herself waking up at Hogwarts in 1975 with no recollection of how she arrived there, she's confused but soon determined to change things... It would be a lot easier if Potter would stop shouting or Black would stop hexing Snape so much though.
1. Shh!

**Please bear with this story past the first chapter! The second chapter onwards will really show the other characters and her interactions with them, its just an introduction chapter really.**

 **I'll be updating this as well as Life, Love, and Marriage According to the Ministry, so if you've been reading that, don't worry, its not going on hiatus!**

 **Chapter One**

 _What if... What if all it took to alter the future was to stop one person from uttering a single word...? Would you stop them if you had a chance, even if it meant the stories you'd fallen in love with would cease to exist and a much darker one might take its place?_

 _If that one action would leave you trapped in an alternate reality of which you know as little as the characters originally living it, with as much fear, horror, and death, potentially coming your way, would you manage it?_

 _Would you have the strength of will to do it?_

 _I would... That is... I_ have.

* * *

Some people say that in your last moments, your entire life flashes before your eyes. Maybe they got the gist of it right, but not which life you'd be seeing? That thought passes quickly through Elaina's mind before its dismissed in favour of asking where she is. If she tries, she finds that rather than her thought becoming clearer, she can't quite hold on to any thought long enough to question it.

Besides, why would she be wondering about another person's life at a moment like this? Her mind is too foggy to answer that question either, and this confuses her for a moment. Why is her mind foggy when it should be slightly clearer than this? Waking up normally isn't this difficult, and even when she's extremely tired and doesn't want to wake, it doesn't feel like this.

As if she's not where she's meant to be as well as... Who she's meant to be?

Elaina is never one to wake up in an unfamiliar place, or under the cover of such a mental haze. She's not a stickler for rules, but the idea of waking up in some stranger's bed isn't one she regularly entertains. Living with her mum still at the age of 22, despite working and having gone to university also isn't something she thought she'd be doing, but at least it gives her an easy out when it comes to people suggesting she goes home with them...

So... As she doesn't remember doing anything stranger than falling asleep early on the sofa at home, she finds her current state confusing. Why is everything so unfamiliar? Her eyes still haven't opened, her lids feeling too heavy to raise, but the feel of the sheets surrounding her, the pillows which manage to raise her ever so slightly higher in bed than she's used to... Even the way the light shines through her eyelids as if its summer rather than the usual winters light stealing past her curtains at home... All these things tell her she's somewhere different.

Forcing her eyes open, Elaina winces as needles seem to poke them, a sure sign of her having been unused to the sun as it now floods her senses. Now that her eyes were engaged, it seems as if her hearing and smell come back in full force. She hadn't realised she'd been drifting, numb to everything but her sense of touch before, but now that the pain in her throat and mouth registers thirst, she wonders how that could possibly have been true.

'She's awake!' The loud voice makes her wince. Who is this unfamiliar person, so intent on bursting her eardrums? As excited as he sounds, why would he be willing to break the silence of the room by such a horribly noisy announcement as to her current state of health?

Blurry images wave in and out of the stark white ceiling above her. It appears Elaina is in a hospital from the smell and sounds of things, the faint clanging and strange low voices in another part of what sounds like a large room hinting at how bad her situation must be.

A hospital would make sense, wouldn't it? Maybe she was just ill and can't remember because she was unconscious when she was admitted? But then... Why would she have been admitted to hospital without knowing about it?

Elaina tries to search through her mind in order to work out what incident could have taken place for her to be hospitalised, but none seem to spring to mind, the more she attempts to sift, the more those memories and thoughts of home and her recent life seem to evade her. Not that she forgets anything important like her name or memories of her mum, siblings, or house... Just that everything else seems to be just out of the reach of her mind.

A sudden fear grips her and she attempts to fight against the sheets trapping her body, realising that the world has never been this stark, this clean, and her mind has never been this addled. Remembering enough to be able to focus on home reminds her of the fact that this is all quite _so_ unfamiliar. Adrenaline kicks in, and her body reengages as she starts to struggle and her body continues to break from the fog weighing her down, making her realise what that increasingly annoying feeling coursing through her body is.

 ** _Pain._**

Shooting, awful pain which passes as if in waves through her body from her head to her feet, pooling in her stomach and suddenly flooding her senses as it crashes down on her. She battles even more urgently, although she remains largely silent as her throat and mouth remain too woolly and pained to create proper sounds and the sudden realisation that she might be heard and others might notice her, leaves her unwilling to attempt a scream.

Unfortunately, its too late to pretend she's not awake as the deep kindly male voice saw to that, booming as it echoed around the large room.

'Shh!' The unfamiliar voice is back just as Elaina manages to break free of the covers tucked around her as if a prison. Ignoring the shushing, she struggles anew. Wherever she is, whoever he is, and how nice his tone or intentions, something is gravely wrong.


	2. You're Safe!

**Chapter Two**

Strong, large hands grip her shoulders as she practically launches herself head first off the bed. They push her back, and despite her cry of protest, desperation, and fear, they continue to force her against the plumped up pillows.

'Please...' she whispers, her voice thick and raspy from disuse. This starts a coughing fit which is only stopped as a glass is held to her lips and something bitter and gloopy invades her mouth, causing her to choke before the retching stops suddenly along with the pain in her throat.

'Don't speak.' The voice commands her, worry evident in each syllable. The blurred form above her looks as if its searching the room for another person, but their gaze returns to Elaina when she struggles against the hands holding her down again as pain begins to leech from her body as well and her brain begins to go foggy once more.

'No! Please!' Her protest is weak, even to her own ears as the darkness descends and she curses herself for swallowing the foreign liquid.

'You're safe, I've got you! You're safe!' The voice replies as if shouting in order to hammer home their intentions, and Elaina winces against the pain it causes her ears before the buzzing blocks out most of the background noise in the room. She begins to lose her fight against the hands and covers, sleep beckoning her.

'Please don't hurt me...' She whispers, and the blurry images weave into view again as her struggling ceases and the numb feeling spreads through her like a stream, tickling her slightly as it does so.

'No one's going to hurt you. Not anymore. You're at Hogwarts. You're safe.'

* * *

Elaina can't shake the feeling that her strange dream leaves her with. She must still be sleeping, in that odd place between dreams and reality when you begin to believe the strange stories your unconscious mind creates for you.

It doesn't concern her that she feels numb, or the sensations of light flashing on the other side of her eyelids, the pillows raising her head higher than usual, pushing her neck into an uncomfortable position... Or that the sheets feel so foreign. Her mind explains those all away as a simple quirk of being half asleep. After all, she's only just woken from this dream, hasn't she?

Something small in the back of her mind seems to poke her, as if to remind her that there is something amiss with this particular haze, and when she tries to work out what it is and it escapes her, familiarity rears its head.

 **Déjà vu.**

The first proper thought she manages to form. It flashes through her entire being, repeating over and over in her mind until it forces Elaina to shift awkwardly on the bed, trying to get the calm feeling back from only a moment ago.

'Are you awake?' A whisper invades her mind, putting a stop to all internal questioning and making her wonder for a moment whether to answer or not. For some reason, she's thankful the voice is so quiet, but she can't work out why that might be. She decides not to answer. Its a dream after all, and she doesn't tend to talk in her dreams... That she can remember, anyway.

'Of course she's not awake, Prongs! She'll be out for ages!' Another voice replies from the other side of the bed, whispering slightly louder than the first voice, both soothing to her ears.

'What if she is, Padfoot? I mean... Logically speaking, she's a strong witch-' A third voice joins them from further away. The end of the bed by the sounds of it. If Elaina thought the first two voices were soothing, this one is much more so, both calm and kind.

Elaina notices that the light above her seem to be moving, although that might only be because of her eyes moving behind her eyelids, or the chance that she's still dreaming. She has to struggle to keep her eyes closed, her limbs from shifting again, her voice from giving her away as she wants nothing more than to ask them what's going on. A large part of her feels that she should be scared... But then, why would the Marauders be standing around her bed with their wands casting _lumos_ and discussing her health if she was awake?

Unless someone was just messing with her as she woke up from a particularly confusing Harry Potter related dream... But who would go out of their way to make such a ridiculous joke? No, she's still dreaming, the obvious choice and the only explanation really-

 _ **PAIN.**_

So much more than before. She must have ignored her other senses reengaging for too long. How could she not have remembered this pain? There's so much of it. Its so agonising. _EVERYWHERE._

Elaina wakes properly with a scream, surpassed only in pitch by the shriek which is emitted from the side of the bed where the one named Padfoot, had been standing a moment ago, and the low shouts of shock and horror from the boys positioned elsewhere about her hospital bed.

'Calm down!' Prongs' voice begs her as three strong sets of hands hold her still, trying to stop her from fighting with the last of the feeble strength she has in her. 'Please, calm down, its okay!'

'Its okay, love, its okay,' comes the echoed sentiment from above the hands forcing her waist to lay prone against the mattress.

'I don't think I can hold her,' a desperate plea for help from the end of the bed, where her ankles are being held with less conviction than the rest of her. 'I've only just changed back, I'm too weak!' Elaina manages to extract her left foot from his hold, and kicks about desperately as he tries to grab it once again.

'Moony. If you're weaker than a girl who's still meant to be under the effects of three different sleeping draughts, you've got bigger problems than the change.' The sarcastic remark to her right makes the boy at the end of the bed make an angry noise, but then his friend removes one hand from her waist, reaching across and down to easily secure her by the shin as well.

Just the feeling of hands on her legs makes Elaina kick for all she's worth and leaves Padfoot struggling just as much as Moony.

'Not so easy now, is it Padfoot?' Moony's smug reply echos around her head for a moment as the pain recedes to the point of just being bearable again and she realises that she can't be dreaming as she'd thought.

'Help.' She whispers, horrified to find her voice as quiet and raspy as she now remembers it was last time she'd woken up. 'Please let go and help me.'

'What can we do? Tell us what you need.' Prongs tells her urgently, leaning down so that his whisper passes by her face, the cool air of his breath soothing against her hot and painful skin.

'So. Much. Pain.' The waves of agony continue, and Elaina attempts to get them to release her as she'd asked, by twisting her body out of their slackened grasp, curling herself into a little ball. As soon as she does this, she wonders why. It never seems to work, no matter how many times her mum's told her that it will stop her stomach or belly hurting, so why would she attempt it now as if it might suddenly relieve her pain. She straightens, still lying on her side but stretching out, before she snaps back into a ball when the pain is worse than ever.

Elaina's mind registers footsteps. Running footsteps, leaving her side and then returning impossibly quickly in order to place something cold and damp against her forehead. She whimpers in response, unable to mutter a thank you as she desperately wants to.

A moment later, another set of feet complete their hurried circuit of the room in order to press a glass jar of sorts against her lips. A vial perhaps.

'No.' Elaina protests, turning her body in the opposite direction as a few tears escape her eyes and she forces the words out despite her throat feeling as if its on fire. 'No more sleep. Please. Let me wake up. Just let me wake up and let the pain stop. _Please,_ ' It's probably no use fighting with them, especially as the vial is suddenly pressed against her lips again as an arm reaches around her, holding her down as another forces the object into her mouth as gently as possible.

As soon as the overly sweet fluid enters her mouth she tries to spit it out, but they appear to be ready for this, holding her jaw closed so that she has to swallow it in order to breath properly. At first, she feels despair at the thought of waking up unsuspectingly to that pain once more, or what could have happened to her before or during her memory loss and unconsciousness... But then, as quickly as the pain arrived what feels to her like a lifetime ago, it leaves in one quick sweep down her body.

This time her mind is not fogged by sleep as she'd feared, but given a clarity that she'd not had since she could remember.

'Why does this remind me of Sirius when he has a hangover?' Prongs asks as Elaina's body uncurls with a small moan of happiness.

'Because this is exactly what happens whenever he drinks?' Moony replies, sounding extremely tired as he seems to slump against the end of the bed.

'If I'm this bad, I'm never drinking again,' Sirius assures them as Elaina opens her eyes and attempts to concentrate hard enough to sharpen the blurry images enough to see his face.

'Don't make promises we all know you'll break, or we'll give up and leave you to your pain.' Prongs tells him loudly, and Elaina's gaze settles on him, wishing she could be rude enough to ask him to keep his voice low because its too loud. He leans into her view, brushing her hair away from her face with a gentle hand as his face softens and he smiles gently at her. 'How's the pain?'

'Prongs! She's in the hospital wing for Merlin's sake!' Sirius complains gently from her other side, and she turns to see him lean down as well, smiling just as kindly although his mischievous eyes seem more like they're laughing than anything else. 'You okay, love?'


	3. ELAINA!

**Chapter Three**

The boys return the next morning, to find that Elaina has recovered enough to be able to receive sanctioned visitors. They're warned not to cause her too much stress by a rather worried Madame Pomfrey, to which they make too many protests for Elaina to believe that they'll keep their word.

She can hear them from behind the curtain pulled around her bed to shield her from the gazes of the two other occupants of the Hospital Wing, and frowns as she wonders why they're not able to keep their voices down.

Its not very easy for her to accept that they're here at all really, her mind working in overdrive to be able to understand how her dream might be quite as all encompassing as it is. Every sense tells her that her surroundings are completely real, although this can't be true because she's a muggle, Harry Potter doesn't exist, and worst of all, if she was here with the Marauders in attendance, it would be have to be the 1970s. Which would therefore suggest that time travel was also involved.

All so ridiculous that she can't wrap her mind around the possibility that any of this is true.

'ELAINA!' Elaina's ear drums almost burst at the shout from Prongs as he whips the curtains open and grins at her. Madame Pomfrey glares at him as she bustles past him in order to wave her wand over her patient before allowing him within the confines of the make shift sick room.

'Mister Potter! If you insist on making this much noise, I'll have to ask you to leave.' Even as she says this, the nurse breaks into a small smile as Potter's face falls and he attempts an impressive pout.

'Sorry Pom,' he tells her, shuffling towards the bed as his friends roll their eyes at the display and shoot broad smiles at Elaina, walking much more happily around her bed than their friend.

Elaina's eyesight refuses to fail her today as it did during the night, and allows her to see the four teenage boys standing in front of her in all their Maurauding glory... Or would do if they were all as impressive as she'd believed they'd be before.

Granted, three of them had handsome faces and perfectly styled hair, but the softness of boyhood hasn't quite left them yet and so she finds it difficult to reconcile these images with those of her imagination.

Potter is tall, with almost black hair, glasses, and an interestingly clear complexion for his age. His manner is easy and casual although it changes to excitedly bouncy within the space of a moment, and his eyes are hazel as she'd been expecting... His shoulders are already broadening, although he seems to be slightly skinnier than the image you'd have of a Quidditch player.

She identifies the others instantly by their hair colours. Remus is a touch shorter than Potter, but with his shoulders slightly slumped and the tiredness in his eyes which also lines his face, that could simply be due to his stance. Handsome, but again in a boyish manner, he seems much calmer than his friend, but obviously prone to smiling and laughter because of the ease that the expression changes his face.

Black has dark hair and shining grey eyes, full of mischief and happiness but also a haunting quality which might relate to his awful home life. He is perhaps the most handsome of them all, but again, not that much more so than Potter. She'd thought he'd be exceptionally good looking from when she'd read the books, but maybe his bad boy air added something more to girls of the day.

Last of all, Pettigrew. In her mind, she'd had him already skulking, as an unsure friend of theirs who was already showing his evil as well as being obviously odd to be part of their group. Unfortunately, he seems sweet, smiling still in a confident manner as he reaches across to grab some of the treats beside her bed. He's not lacking in any of the qualities of his friends except perhaps in height as he doesn't seem to have reached the point of growth spurts yet. She takes some pleasure in realising that she wouldn't label him as handsome in any way, but that again is short lived as she begrudgingly admits to herself that he isn't ugly either. Plain perhaps with his mousy brown hair, his light blue eyes managing to keep him just out of that bracket.

Elaina isn't surprised that she doesn't find herself attracted to any of them, and almost thankful as well. They don't look older than about sixteen, so that would be quite odd of her. That being said, she expects that within a year or two they might be forces to reckon with... They just lacked the manliness that they'd no doubt gain over the coming years.

'How old are you?' She asks them, unable to hold the question back in time. Her voice is her own, her accent clear and slightly prone to drawling because of how she pronounces her words, although simply a quirk of her primary school education and not of a rich upbringing.

'Sixteen, of course!' Interestingly, Pettigrew is the first to speak up, talking around the cauldron cake half stuffed into his mouth, which makes her find him even more disgusting than she did simply because of his future actions.

'Why'd'you ask, love? You haven't been asleep _that_ long, don't worry!' Black tells her, flopping back against the foot of her bed as he stretches out completely alongside her, propping his feet on the corner of the chair Remus relaxes into with a sigh.

This is definitely a dream. An odd and strange one in which extreme pain is held back by strange potions and four boys who should be long gone by the time she's alive relax around her as if she's an old friend. Simply the thought of their fate makes tears spring to her eyes, and she reaches up to wipe them away with a hand.

Thankfully, her skin is still the same colour in this dream, the light brown which her tone changes to over the winter months when she's not been exposed to the sun and an easy tan.

'How long _have_ I been asleep?' Elaina asks quietly, looking intently at Black with interest as he dropped his eyes the moment he saw she was in emotional pain, as if guilty for some reason.

'Only about... Three weeks or so?' He replies casually, settling his shoulders into a more comfortable position and eyeing her from beneath long eyelashes framed by dark eyebrows, his stylishly long hair brushing his forehead and temples, skimming the collar of his robes at the back.

'Maybe closer to four,' Remus tells her as he gives Black's legs a shove, ignoring the way it unbalances the second boy and has him scrambling to stay on her bed. The bags under his eyes are dark, but even they fail to completely take away from his youthful look, sandy blonde hair and clear green eyes making her wonder if he didn't know just how good looking he could be during the rest of the lunar cycle. From the way he smiles coyly at her as she continues to stare at him, she becomes more and more sure that he must do.

'What've I missed in school?' She asks, half glaring at Remus before looking around her to see all the other boys half groaning or making faces at her question. Considering she's not quite sure what's going on, she figures she should stick to neutral subjects.

'Its okay,' Potter tells her as a chair glides across for him to sit on and he closes the curtain behind him. 'Boring as ever! But then, they refuse to teach the fun stuff, so of course it would be! Erm... Evans still isn't going out with me-'

'No surprise there!' Black laughs, earning himself a glare from his friend.

'Snape's still being an arse... Although, Lily keeps defending him, which is bloody annoying. Just because Snivellus-'

'Severus-' Remus begins, but Elaina continues to speak as he stops.

'Severus Snape is not an arse,' They eye each other oddly as Elaina realises they both chose to interrupt his friend at the same time, and Remus seems confused by her words.

'Snivellius is the reason you're in here!' Black tells her, sitting up and acting a lot less calm than he was a moment ago. 'Snivellius might not have fired those spells, but he was part of it! He told me so himself, told me I should be watching out for students in case they got turned on because of our actions! He as good as admitted someone would be attacked, and here you are! In the Hospital Wing, only just waking up now, and for what?!'

'Calm down Padfoot!' Potter hisses as Elaina's eyes widen and she tries to curl her knees up to her chin under the covers in order to make herself a smaller target for his anger. Fear takes over, and she realises that she isn't ready for this dream to be real if that's the sort of Sirius Black she'll be having to deal with.

'I'm sorry love,' he tells her, screwing his face up almost in a painful way as he runs a hand through his hair. 'But you can't say he's not an arse. Not to us, and definitely not right now.'

Elaina doesn't quite know where the familiarity in his tone or his words has come from as she doesn't know anything more of the dream she's currently in than waking up this morning with a strange recollection of who three of these boys were along with the knowledge that they'd be visiting this morning, but she's sure she's right about Snape, knowing about how they bullied the future Professor all through their schooling.

As Black scrabbles around for something more to say, and the others stare at her, she realises that she's interacting with them too much. Something pokes the back of her mind enough to ask why she's trying to talk rather than to get out of her strange dream, and she concedes to it, thinking that maybe its their presence that's making her almost _not_ want to wake up just yet.

Well, was before Black began to scare her as he did.

'Go away.' She tells them suddenly, the fear that she might not be waking up, or why that might be so, gripping her. Their surprise turns to worry as she feels irrational panic fill her as tears begin to spring to her eyes and the way the boys are surrounding her makes her feel more scared than reassured. 'Go. Away. GO AWAY!'

Madame Pomfrey darts behind the curtain as she continues to yell, not quite knowing why she's acting like this, even as she forces herself from the bed and throws the presents and sweets on the table beside it onto the floor in one motion. Her breathing is uncontrollably fast as fear takes over and she finds herself curling into a ball on the cold hard floor, her legs collapsing under her within seconds as she screams at them to leave.

'I told you not to make her upset!' Pomfrey tells them angrily before waving her wand in order to try to get the screaming girl to calm down. 'The potions and spells she's under are prone to making witches and wizards violently scared if they're stressed!'

'Elaina?' Pettigrew reaches out a hand to her, and she screams outright, no words this time, only a shrill warning sound as she stares at his hand. The hand of a murderer. Elaina scrabbles away from him, ignoring the soothing sounds of Madame Pomfrey trying to calm her down before she feels her body go completely rigid and potion is once again poured into her mouth.

'There. She should be out for about ten hours. And none of you are allowed back in this Hospital Wing until she's fully recovered and left. No. I want no complaints from _you_ Mister Potter, yo-' Elaina doesn't hear the end of the sentence clearly because darkness descends, but it sounds worryingly like, 'u taking her on that broom ride after curfew is the reason why she's in here in the first place.'


	4. Elaina, I'm sorry

**PLEASE READ! This chapter is pretty dark in places, although it isn't as dark as most and I've tried to keep it T rated in the process! Next chapter onward it will be much funnier and such!**

 **Chapter Four**

'Elaina?' The whisper isn't enough to make Elaina turn and look to the boy she now knows is standing by her bed in the dark. Instead, she continues to stare blankly as she lays on her side, the tears slowly making their way down her face and annoying her by pooling on the side of her nose and her pillow. 'Elaina?' He tries again, but she hardly registers the sound this time, not so shocked by the sudden intrusion into her thoughts.

Five days have passed since she could remember waking up in this world. Five days in which she's been unable to tell the matron, Professors, or Aurors anything about who did this to her. This evening, one Auror had to be pulled away from her bed because he was so insistent that she answer his questions, he let slip that the injuries she sustained at the hands of her attackers were not simply spell based.

She was apparently attacked in a much more personal manner. Her reaction was not fake when the horror descended and she began to hyperventilate and sob as the memories of her own true attack surfaced and she remembered the feelings of helplessness, terror, rage and all encompassing sadness over come her when she pieced together what had happened to her that night.

Why and how she'd come to incorporate this event into her dream isn't something which she needed to think much upon. Unfortunately it was something which continued to plague her nightmares in her real life.

And yet... _Why it had to be part of this dream as well_... That was something she had yet to reconcile herself with.

'Elaina? Please?' The voice again. More insistent this time as the boy reaches forwards to touch her on the shoulder. Elaina reacts immediately, throwing her covers from herself and leaping onto the cold stone floor as she puts needed space between the two of them. His faint touch reminded her too much of past horrors even as she tried to convince herself that she was safe.

'Wha-Wha-Wha-' Her words tumble from her mouth half formed and marred by sobs as her brain scrambles for something, anything, to say whilst Sirius Black stares at her. His face is half in shadow and yet she feels as if she can feel his sadness, anger, and pain from his gaze as it settles on her. 'Wha-What do you wa-wa-want?'

Sirius, Padfoot, Black, any other name he goes by, seems to be unable to speak, his eyes never moving from her face as he stands as still as possible on the other side of the bed with that infernal look on his face.

'WHAT!? WHAT DO YOU WANT!? WHAT? WHAT?' Elaina breaks down into full sobs which wrack her entire body as she doubles over and Black finally acts, rounding the bed in a matter of moments and approaching her as if attempting to calm a crazed horse or something. Elaina backs away from him as he puts his hands out and tries to gather her into his arms but she flinches away as if his hands are on fire.

'Elaina, I... I'm sorry...' He must know. Elaina looks up into his dark grey eyes, and even in the faint moonlight she can tell that he knows. The Auror was less than discreet as he shouted at her to answer him, and she wouldn't be completely surprised if everyone knew. Does everyone know? A thought terrifying enough that she has to put it into words.

'Who knows? Ho-Ho-How do you know?' Black tries again, and succeeds this time, sliding his arms around her and pulling her to his chest as he holds her gently, rocking her slowly and carefully from side to side.

'Prongs...' He whispers against her hair, 'Prongs told me about it. He was here and heard. They wiped the memories of the two third years with boils from potions, but they didn't catch him.'

'Because of his invi-invisibility cloak?' Elaina asks, pulling back and wiping her eyes and face on the hospital nightdress she's been given to wear for as long as her stay continues. Black's face would have been humorous at any other time, the look of shock so comical at the worst moment, that it causes Elaina to choke on a laugh.

'How? Elaina, _how do you know about the cloak?_ ' His tone is so disturbed that she takes in a sharp breath, stepping back against the bedside table and knocking it. The small bang coupled with the sight of the table wobbling violently attracts both of their attention immediately and breaks the tension between them for a moment.

'Does it matter?' She asks, as her hysteria is caught enough by surprise that she is able to push it down enough to function without the need to cry, her thoughts blessedly unable to focus on the trauma of her past for the first time since it was brought up hours before. As quickly as the clarity of mind arrived, it leaves her in a way that means that she is unable to remember what it was that traumatised her so much and had her crying in such a way.

'Elaina...'

'I'm sorry... I didn't see you there.' The truth. At least it is to Elaina right now. She truly doesn't understand how she came to be standing beside her bed in the dark with Sirius Black staring at her as if she's crazy.

'You didn't? You didn't _see_ me? Ooh! I get it!' He tips his head back with a loud bark of laughter and she frowns at him, confused as to what he finds so funny about her last comment. When he drops his gaze and his laugh becomes a smile, she returns it in a much more benign way, out of politeness if nothing else.

'I'm sorry... I didn't see you there.' Elaina feels as if she's losing her mind. She was so sure she had been in her bed a moment ago, but how she's come to be standing beside it with Sirius Black- 'I'm sorry... I didn't see you there.'

Black's eyes grow round as fear seems to grip him whilst she repeats the same seven words over and over again. He seems to realise something is gravely wrong when she starts to lose her focus faster and faster each time, and suddenly she finds herself alone by the bed and lost, but with no one to offer apologies to and only herself to be wondering about.

'Elaina?' Madame Pomfrey rushes into view, tugging the tie on a long dressing gown as she pulls it over her nightgown. Black trails behind her, travelling just as quickly but with panic in his eyes, unlike the professional manner in which the matron conceals her emotions.

'I'm sorry... I didn't see you there.' Pain erupts within Elaina's skull as images flash in a way that memories usually fail to. A ceiling. Blood. Flashes of red, purple, and white. Searing pain. Screams.

'We need to obliviate her.' For some reason, this sounds like the worst idea in the world to Elaina. She fights against the suggestion, trying to run from the voices in her strange reality like dream and the horrifying images still making their way through her addled brain. She makes it halfway across the room before something hits her in the back and she feels contentment seep through her in the instant before she collapses.

* * *

'Elaina?' The girl looks up to see the kindly matron smiling at her. Only a few days have passed since she woke up in her bed within the Hospital Wing, free from any sort of pain, emotional or physical. She can't understand what might have happened to make her feel so much better, but she refuses to question it as much as her mind nags her to.

'Hello! How're you this morning?' She might be void of emotional pain, but she continues to remember her life at home as it was before. The real home. Most of the time she wants to leave, to get far enough away from this stark, cold room to find out how far this dream extends... If it is a dream and not a strange experiment of some sort. That thought has passed through her mind several times in the last couple of days.

'The question should be, how are _you?_ I have a feeling that today might be the day to get you up and about. That is if you think you're ready for it?' Elaina is ready for that. More than ready. In fact, that sounds like the best idea possible.

'Yes! Yes, I am! I want to go!' Madame Pomfrey laughs for a moment at her enthusiasm before she tries to bite back her grin and give Elaina a stern look.

'Well I'm not sure how I feel about you wanting to get away from me that badly, but I'm glad you're finally feeling better! You've been awake for three weeks already!' Three weeks? Elaina was sure it was only a few days at the most. She must have been sleeping more than she'd thought.


	5. You Inbred Toad

**Thank you to Guest, Amarenima Redwood, and sainlyinsain for your reviews!**

 **Chapter Five**

The school, as Elaina sees it for the first time, is incredible. No words would truly do justice to the beautiful and magical parts of the castle that Madame Pomfrey allows her to visit on their walks. So far, she's been unable to recall any of the routes that the nurse is sure she should know, and so relies heavily on the elder witch's knowledge as she gapes about her in wonder of it all.

A couple of days go by before Elaina is trusted enough through her ability to memorise routes and floor plans to be allowed to venture forth on her own when Madame Pomfrey is too busy to accompany her. Fear grips her, but she doesn't want to be kept in the Hospital Wing if she's unable to go around on her own, and so she begins to pretend she is following the old walks, and instead hides for an hour or two in a broom closet nearby.

Elaina isn't sure what she will do when she has to return to schooling in two days as is promised. She knows enough of this world to know which answers to give to any questions about her classes which might otherwise have meant she was unable to stay at the school or return to her common room and dormitories.

At least, return in their eyes. For Elaina, it would be the first time she would be visiting these places which had only ever been imagined or envisioned through reading books and watching films. Nothing, she is sure, could come close to the splendor that she now knows would be attached to the rooms after having seen other parts of the castle.

'Elaina?' People must realise how sneaking up on her is pretty unfair these days, and yet they seem to do it so often... Or do they? Elaina frowns slightly as something half remembered about waking up and being faced with three boys who gave her pain potion, surfaces. Was that part of her imagination, or did it really happen in that time which she seems to have slept through?

'Yes?' Turning around, Elaina finds that she's confronted with the same teenagers she thought she'd imagined, and jumps, a barely concealed shriek passing through her lips. One of the boys, maybe Black if she remembers correctly, sifting through her muddled brain for answers, grins in response as the others look alarmed.

'Uh oh, Prongs! Looks like fair Elaina isn't quite as in love with you as she once was! Your mug's so ugly she thought it was a gargoyle come to life!' His bark of laughter precedes Pettigrew's half laugh half cough, and has Remus and Potter glaring at him in an instant.

'I think it was _you_ who made her scream Padfoot,' Potter grumbles, and then hangs his head in shame almost, as if knowing what retort would come next.

'Damn right it did! Girls're always screaming, but they tend to wait until we're alone,' Black winks at his friends as he says this, and she narrows her eyes. Just because she now remembers enough to know who they all are doesn't mean he should get to make jokes at her expense... No matter how veiled they may be.

'I highly doubt that any girl has ever enjoyed herself with you quite _so_ much, Black. Unless they caught a look at your webbed feet!' Remus says happily, which sets Potter off into a spiral of laughter which sees him bending over to catch his breath as he slaps his thigh and repeats webbed feet over and over. At least the comment shuts Black up for a moment, but when he rolls his eyes at them, she takes a slight step to the side in order to edge away.

They've clearly forgotten her presence in the stead of their own conversation.

'I'd stop laughing if I were you, _Potter,_ your mum's my grand-aunt, you inbred toad.' This begins some sort of argument about relations and who's more inbred than the other which Elaina doesn't hang around for, having reached the door to the broom closet. Taking care to make as little noise as possible, she eases her way through a small gap and tiptoes off, breaking into a run when she's far enough away.

Part of her doesn't want to run, it wants her to stay and chat to these interesting boys, to get to know them better before they become the men who would ultimately shape the entire history of the magical community in their own ways, but then... The rest of her would rather not get stuck in the middle of an argument based around whether or not she loves Potter or the state of Black's webbed feet.

She reaches the Hospital Wing in record time, and has to take a second to level her breathing in case the matron thought she wasn't fit to be outside alone. The expulsion of two Slytherin students a couple of days ago for harming her in the way that they did means that there's no real danger to face when she is released, but she needs to keep up the pretense of being completely at ease to ensure her release.

Its a waiting game right now, and one which she really doesn't want to have to continue for longer than the two days necessary.

'Did you have a good walk?' Pomfrey asks as Elaina enters the Hospital Wing a moment later, startling the girl who'd been attempting to sneak in.

'Yes, I did!' She replies, as casually as she can whilst her voice is squeaking from lying so badly. When the matron looks up from administering some foul looking paste to a crying Fourth Year's leg, she smiles and attempts to calm herself before answering the inevitable question before its asked. 'Sorry, I just saw a rat and a toad. Webbed feet you know, give me the creeps.'

'Toads shouldn't be left to their own devices. I don't doubt its that Helga, she's always losing the thing, no matter how many times it almost gets trodden on... Or now, apparently, at risk from someone's rat... I'll have to talk to her again. Anyway, I'm glad it was good! I'll be over to check on you as soon as I've fixed this bite.'

'Venomous plant,' The Fourth Year pipes up with a smile, before wincing and crying out again as Madame Pomfrey pokes his leg.

Yeah... The sooner she gets out of here, the better.


	6. Wotcher Love!

**I'm so sorry for the amount of time its taken me to post the next chapter!**

 **Chapter Six**

Elaina runs through all the different possibilities the day ahead might bring as she finally get the go ahead to leave the Hospital Wing. In the past two days, she's improved greatly, and despite not quite understanding why everyone's so worried about her having panic attacks, she's ready to leave with some excitement.

The only thing which worries her at all is the fear of people taking advantage of her position, not knowing anything which would keep her from becoming friends with the wrong people, or worse... Still, she'd rather not jeopardise her position by voicing any of these concerns.

What is even odder to the girl, is that she hasn't had any visitors since she can remember completely. The only people she's really come into contact with are the three Maurauders she met on her walk, but even then, she can't be sure if the memory of meeting them before is real or not. Regardless, she's not sure if she _should_ be friends with them even if they offer, considering what they've been doing to Severus Snape.

 _That_ , is something she'll never be able to forget about the books she'd read when she was younger. They will grow up to be more than commonly decent people, with the exception of Peter Pettigrew, but for now they're mean teenage boys who pick on another teenager purely to make themselves feel better about what they're going through... Or, in Potter's case, simply for the fun of it considering he doesn't seem to be going through anything particularly bad at the moment, his parents being extremely wealthy purebloods who have at least the appearance of being kind people... From what she'd read, anyway.

The blurring lines between reality and fiction worry her somewhat whilst she makes her way across the stark room, towards the door and the freedom she might well find on the other side. That is, if she can find her way down to the Great Hall in time for dinner. Apparently, if you've found yourself tortured to the point of memory loss within the walls of Hogwarts, you can be sorted again, and really have to be in case your new self is completely different to your old self.

Elaina thinks that this is probably a good thing, considering she's not sure which House she was in before, and if she was to end up in Slytherin, she really didn't think she'd be able to cope. She's pretty certain she won't be placed in that particular House though, considering the attackers had been there, and the Sorting Hat must be able to see into her mind enough to tell what she knows, and is, even if no one else can be allowed to.

She'd decided this as she lay there one day, thinking over everything she could and couldn't remember about how she'd come to be here, and how quickly her mind had allowed her to adjust to it all. This was something she'd have to face alone, she couldn't even tell Professor Dumbledore when he'd come to see her the afternoon before, because of the potential repercussions which would come from his knowing the fates of everyone around them. After all, he'd not necessarily handled everything in the best way the first time around, so as much as she understood his reasonings, she didn't really want to add fuel to any ideas he might have right now.

No, it was safer for all concerned if she kept this all to herself and the Sorting Hat... For the moment, at least.

Elaina pushed the door open with her right hand, keeping the wand which she'd been given in her left one. After all, it was supposed to be her wand, and it felt rather warm in her hand, as she remembered Harry's being in the books, meaning she was still somewhat connected to it. She'd said goodbye to the Matron earlier, and they'd decided she should do this alone, considering it would show everyone just what she could manage on her own.

This was her first real test, she supposed, poking her head out of the door to look around, as had become her habit when exiting the long room. It would be odd to be leaving the Hospital Wing for good this time, but she hoped it would also be better for her than to stick around watching students get patched up as she had for a while. She doesn't think she'd be able to take another splinching of the sixth and seventh years, especially as one boy had lost two fingers and all his nails which had to be regrown overnight. Even the thought of that one makes her retch slightly, closing her mouth so that the sound doesn't carry in the hall as she steps out, having judged it to be empty and therefore probably safe.

Closing the door behind her, Elaina takes a deep breath, and tries to remember which way the Great Hall was. Turning to her right, she takes two steps before something catches her eye in the instant before she's accosted by a group of four boys.

'Wotcher love!' Black says happily, grinning down at her with a distinctly mischievous look on his face. This leaves the instant she lets out a little scream of terror, considering they've snuck up on her _again._ Surely they should come with a warning sign or something?

'Whoa, okay, _that_ one was all you, Padfoot, nothing to do with my face!' Potter says, grinning himself as he stuffs something rather silky and shiny into his bag and runs a hand through his hair, fluffing it up at the back to make it look even messier than before.

'I _think_ we could all take the blame for this, considering we did just sneak up on her... Maybe we should stop doing that, it clearly unsettles people,' Remus reasons with them, giving her a half grimace which she takes to mean his apology.

' _She_ is still standing right here,' Elaina grumbles, put out by the way that they seem not to fully register her presence. 'Talking about someone as if they've already gone is rude and... And really quite mean, you know?'

Her question is met with silence as they take a moment to think it over, and she tries not to giggle as they seem so confused over what she just said, all fiddling nervously with their bags, or in Potter's case, running a hand through his hair again. Suddenly, as if he'd thought of an answer to a particularly hard riddle, Pettigrew throws his hand in the air, and her smile drops once again.

'Ooh! Ooh! It _is_ mean, so we shouldn't do it, or Elaina won't want to be friends with us again!' Groans meet his suggestion as she rolls her eyes and turns away from them all to head off to dinner again.

'Yeah, we all got that mate, so you calling Elaina by her name as if she's not here still isn't winning us any points!' Black grumbles quietly behind her, and she's sure she hears a small thud as if Pettigrew just got shoved into a wall or something. Serves him right, she thinks, considering he was just toeing the line of being intentionally stupid... Okay, so she knows that's rather mean considering her hatred of him comes from something he's not done yet, but its how she feels right now.

'Wait up, El!' Comes another call, and she berates herself for looking over her shoulder to see the Marauders hurrying after her. This being said, she waits for them, considering they obviously know the castle better than she does right now, and she could really do with some guidance.

'We heard you're being sorted today?' Remus asks as they reach her in no time and she ends up being flanked by them as if they're her personal protection. She looks around her, Black being on her right, Remus on her left, and Pettigrew and Potter behind, and notices that Potter seems to be hanging back, trying not to make eye contact with her as she gazes at him for a moment.

Its rather odd, she thinks, considering she's only met him twice, for him not to want to make eye contact, but then again maybe he's shy like she usually finds herself to be... Then again, no, he really doesn't seem like the type.

'Yes.' She answers, looking back to Remus with an odd look on her face. He looks between Potter and herself and smirks even though his eyes seem to tell her something is wrong. The silence which comes after her single worded answer stretches to the point of becoming uncomfortable as she stares forward, not wanting to get caught up in Remus' gaze. Something tells her he'd be too smug about it if she did, but she can't remember why that might be.

'Whoa... Okay... Any ideas which House you'll be in this time?' Pettigrew asks excitedly from behind her, and even though she knows she needs to be kind to him until he turns to the dark, she can't help but glare forwards as she answers, again with a single word.

'No.' This time, no excited response comes, and Potter actually stumbles behind her, gaining himself small glares from his friends.

'You mean... You don't know if you'll get Ravenclaw again?' Black asks hesitantly, as if sounding her out.

'No... I mean... I could get any of them.' She replies, distracted by a rather scary portrait which raises an eyebrow at her before pretending to die. She really didn't need to see that at that very moment.

'Except for Slytherin.' Potter tells her, making her shiver slightly as his breath wafts over the back of her neck and his hard tone rumbles through her.

'What's wrong with Slytherin?' She asks, making her eyes round as she turns to walk backwards and stare at them all. She doesn't, after all, want them to know what she does about the future. Of course, there will be bad witches and wizards there at the moment, but considering what they're all up to, it can't be entirely safe anywhere at this point of time.

'WHAT'S WRON-' Black nearly explodes, and Pettigrew launches himself at his friend, pushing him back as the three of them continue to walk, both Potter and Remus staring at her with varying degrees of sadness in their eyes.

'Slytherins put you in the Hospital Wing, Elaina.' Remus tells her, grimacing slightly as if the thought of what happened haunts him. Potter nods in agreement as his hand seems glued to the back of his head. Probably quite an attractive motion for some girls in the school, but it just seems like a nervous tick to her.

'Not _all_ of them did, though,' She says, making her sentence into a question of sorts as she stares between the two of them. 'I mean... I'm not going to get Slytherin, probably...'

'Please don't get Slytherin, Elaina, and if the Sorting Hat suggests it, say no.' Potter says, staring intensely into her eyes for the first time since she'd seen him that day.

'Why? Because I might get hurt again?' She asks. She knows she's just making trouble for them for no reason probably, but she really doesn't understand how she came to be in the Hospital Wing, so they sealed their own fates by knowing. Not even the Matron seemed to know when she'd asked her.

'No, they're gone now...' Remus tells her, looking down at his feet as he seems to be hiding something else. He flicks her another glance, one which makes her want to do anything to make him feel better. All the look needs is a pout, and then he'd probably be able to get away with anything in the world. 'Just... Don't even joke about that, alright? No Slytherin. And please don't do it just for the sake of us asking you not to. This time, you've got to believe us that something might happen.'

'Yeah, like you refused to believe-' Black doesn't get to say all he'd meant to, because Potter elbows him in the stomach at the same moment Remus and he seem to glare at each other as he jogs over to rejoin the group, and he falls back again with a grunt of pain, clutching his belly. 'Fine, I won't tell her.' He says bitterly, although something tells her he dearly wants to spill the beans over something judging by the look he, too, sends her way.

What is it with these boys and their looks?

'Tell me what?' Elaina asks, realising she really should be looking where she's going, and turning around again to be confronted with a whole load of stairs just crisscrossing each other. Staring at them makes her vertigo flare up, and she finds herself taking two great leaps backwards and being enveloped in warm arms as she buries her head in someone's robes.

'Don't tell me she's going to get Hufflepuff,' she hears Pettigrew complain. 'Then she'll never take you back!'

Elaina looks up to see Black and Remus glaring at Potter as he stares sheepishly at them.

'Take who back?' She asks, her questions building up. The only response she gets is the look the three taller boys share before they nod at each other and turn to her in unison.

'Ignore Pettigrew, he doesn't know what he's talking about.' Remus tells her as the other two nod, clearly in cahoots about something. 'Now come on, we've got to get you down to the Great Hall before you miss your sorting.'


	7. C'mon, Love

**Just so that everyone knows and doesn't wonder about the change in tense, I've decided to make the story third person past tense rather than third person present tense because it sounds better in my mind if I do that! I'll go back and change the other chapters, but for now its just this one onwards!**

 **I can't apologise enough for the lack of posting with this story, or Life, Love, and Marriage According to the Ministry, but I plan to update LLMAM in the next couple of days and hopefully will be posting more regularly after that!**

 **Chapter Seven**

Elaina was incredibly nervous as she finally managed to follow the four Marauders into the Great Hall, trailing behind them despite James and Sirius both having insisted on holding each of her hands in their own for some sort of moral support. She couldn't say she didn't appreciate the gesture as she was confronted with the full glory of the Entrance Hall, let alone the massive imposing hall into which they were now making their way.

If nothing had managed to prepare her for the sight of the halls of Hogwarts, this... Was something else entirely. She wasn't able to take in the full magnificence of it all in one glance, and had it not been for the boys tugging her along, she felt sure she would have stopped and spent a long time taking it in.

Of course, had she not had the Marauders flanking her, she would also have noticed the number of students in the cavernous room who'd turned to stare at them all, or the silence which had fallen. This all, she did of course notice, however a moment too late to be able to turn around and flee as she inexplicably wanted to because the grips on her hands had tightened in her moment of hesitation and refused to let her do as she wished.

Elaina had a faint sense that she should have been scared about their restraining of her, however she couldn't work out why exactly that was. She knew the sort of thing which had happened to her, but she had no specific idea of it all, and so to feel some niggling in the back of her mind which suggested she should panic at that moment was still a little odd. Of course, there was the other fact that she'd probably just lost herself in some dream which was how she found herself there in the first place, but still... At that moment she wasn't at all sure she'd not want it to actually _be_ real if it could be.

'Come on love, you've got this. Just aim for Ravenclaw again or Hufflepuff and we'll get you through.' Fighting it off, she gave up the fruitless resistance as both Potter and Black looked at her with matching expressions, as if to tell her that despite the way they'd had to help her down some of the stairs, blocking her line of sight as they averted their eyes as if by that they could help her down without letting on that they'd realised how much the long drops had left her shaking, they believed she could be brave enough to do this. Which was an entirely normal level of bravery considering it was what a whole load of first years had to do every year.

 _Concentrate on that, and you'll be fine._ Elaina told herself as she strode along nervously behind them, trying to focus on the fact that she had yet to work any of this out yet, and not on the way that if she allowed her gaze to stray, she would be able to pick out any number of students who had some connection to the generation she'd read about. In the books. The books about the boy who's father's hand she was currently clinging onto for dear life as he and his best friend tugged her towards the front of the Hall. It was obvious that they knew exactly what had happened, obvious as much as it was that they were continuing to hide something from her, namely what Pettigrew had meant by her taking one of them back, but she'd have to ignore that for the moment.

Somewhere along the line, Remus and Pettigrew had split off from their small group, and she looked back to see where they were, feeling slightly more scared as she realised she'd been so engrossed in her thoughts that despite their annoyingly slow progress through the space, they'd managed to reach the stool on which the Sorting Hat rested, flanked by a rather imposing looking Albus Dumbledore.

Elaina had already decided that she wouldn't tell anyone about what had happened to her really, that she'd woken up in the Hospital Wing with no memory of how she got there and homesick for a world that hadn't even happened yet. It would do no good for her, and looking up into the twinkling eyes of the Headmaster for a moment before she dropped her gaze down and away, she reiterated that it would be no good for anyone else if she was to be sent away to a specialist ward at St. Mungo's either. _No,_ she decided as she gave the boys' hands one last squeeze and whispered her thanks before she'd found her arms curling around her, _I will stay, I will keep my mouth shut, and if I don't wake up before it all begins to happen, I will fight._

'Miss Devereux. Might I say that it is such a pleasure to have you up and about again. I would rather we stayed here and talked as old friends, however I am sure that your friends are positively champing at the bit to see you again, and the others are desperate to know what they can about your stay in the Hospital Wing as well.' Dumbledore told her, his cheery voice almost booming through her in a way that made her sure that all those currently straining to hear closest to them would no doubt now be whispering to their classmates. Sure enough, it was only a moment before she heard the sound of whispers echo though the Hall, and was more grateful than she could express when Black and Potter turned to face the hall and made their way back to the Gryffindor table to join their friends on the mimed request from the Headmaster.

'Miss Devereux?' Elaina found herself whispering, a question to herself really. Was she called Elaina Devereux here? Was that a muggleborn or a pureblood name? She had no idea, and yet she found herself hoping for the former even though she felt some guilt over not wanting to be a pureblood if she could help it. It was no doubt the opposite of what she should want in the world of the time, but still, she cleared her throat and her mind and attempted to speak so that she could be heard. 'I-Thank you, Professor?' She forced out between suddenly dry lips. Why could she bring herself to speak to the silly Marauder boys, to Pettigrew no less, but not to Dumbledore.

'Alas, there is nothing I have done which should be thanked.' Was the only response she received, along with a glimpse of some pain in the much elder man's eyes before he began to usher her towards the stool, lifting the Sorting Hat himself as she sat down on the chair, dropping a little because of how low it was. They couldn't have made it larger, of course... That would be too easy for people who could use magic after all. She knew that she shouldn't have been so sarcastic in her mind before the Sorting Hat began to analyse her, but she couldn't help it, the embarrassment of the situation added to her nervousness, panic, and shaking limbs too much to keep it away.

The Hat said but one thing to her in the instant it touched her head. She had, quite honestly, expected to become a Hat Stall due to the length of time it took the Hat to sift through her memories and thoughts in an attempt to find an answer to what she was... But no, she got one thing before it immediately shouted the course her life would now take - to an entirely shocked, and in some cases horrified, crowd of students and professors.

 ** _'Merlin woman, don't let me regret this.'_**

 ** _'GRYYYYFFFFIIIINNNDDDDOOORRRRRRR!'_**


	8. Miss Devereux?

**Sorry this has taken so long to get out, but here it is, the next chapter of Elaina's story. This kind of goes without saying but this story isn't in the same universe as Life, Love, and Marriage According to the Ministry, so we'll see if her arrival makes any difference to the canon in this one...**

 **Chapter Eight**

 _Gryffindor? Don't you mean... I don't know? One of the others?_

 ** _No, I was very clear just then that I meant Gryffindor, Miss Devereux._**

 _But I'm no-_

 _ **I know exactly what you are, who you are not, and what you know.**_

 _Then why are you not hel-_

"Miss Devereux?" Dumbledore's voice broke through past Elaina's argument with the Sorting Hat, and she looked up to see that the entire Hall was staring at her. They were wondering no doubt why she was still sitting on the too short stool, glaring. Her hand began to shake as she felt her lungs constrict. "Perhaps you should join your new House?"

 _ **Go. Who knows? Perhaps I'll not have made a mistake with you.**_

The hat was lifted from her head, and for a moment she thought about grabbing it back and asking it why she couldn't have been placed somewhere like Hufflepuff, although she knew the reason was probably going to be something to do with the fact that Hufflepuffs were hardworking, and if this dream was to continue for long then they'd realise she was less hardworking than she should have been, considering she'd already had her fill of secondary school. Elaina's gaze passed quickly over the many sets of eyes which were still trained on her, and she caught sight of three teenage boys who held more surprise and excitement than the rest.

She was no doubt placed in their House because of what she knew, that would make more sense. If the Sorting Hat understood her knowledge, then it would have seen her wish that things had been different for them in the books she'd grown up with. It would be easier to do that if she was around them a lot... Perhaps.

"Miss Devereux, you're not required to remain on the stool all night." Elaina looked up into the confused eyes of Professor Dumbledore and snapped out of her musing as she struggled to her feet. The action was made more difficult as she was wearing a skirt and her legs were far longer than a first year's, so the woman wasn't surprised when she heard sniggers echo around the hall. She finally made it up and kept her head bowed a little as she nodded swiftly and began to make her way over to sit with the only four faces she recognised.

"YOU ALL ACT LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A SORTING BEFORE!" A voice shouted out in a disgruntled manner, and the laughter ceased around Elaina as she looked up and saw a beautiful teenage girl standing on one of the benches by the boys with her hands placed firmly on her hips. "NONE OF US LAUGHED WHEN YOU WERE SORTED, MULLIGAN, AND YOU DIDN'T GET SORTED IMMEDIATELY LIKE 'LAINA DID! NEARLY A HAT STALL IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY!" The girl's annoyance seemed to be concentrated on one person in particular and Elaina looked towards the Ravenclaw table where she saw a boy blush bright red and duck his head.

"Yes, thank you, Miss Winterbloss, I believe your point has been duly noted by all." An unfamiliar male voice came flowing across from the head table, but Elaina's attention remained on the young witch who hopped down from her perch on the bench and nodded happily at her. _Miss Winterbloss? Did we-I mean, did she know Devereux?_ Elaina wondered to herself as she sent the witch a small smile and mouthed a thank you. When she reached the boys, Black and Potter shifted to make room for her between them and she gingerly stepped over the bench then sat down with a lot less trouble than before.

"Leave it to you to go from Ravenclaw to Gryffindor, eh? See, Padfoot what'd I tell you, she'd miss us too much if she was anywhere else!" Potter's voice burst with excitement as he addressed his friend.

"Give over, you!" Winterbloss cut across whatever Black was going to say, capturing the attention of those around her as she leaned across the table with a grin. "'Laina got Gryffindor so she could come and hang out with us, not get saddled with you two again." Elaina decided she liked the girl who'd defended her, so she found herself nodding in agreement before she could stop herself which elicited scandalised gasps from the boys on either side and laughter from Remus who sat across from them, next to Winterbloss.

"And she agrees without actually remembering half the people in the room, so it must burn even more!" Another male voice joined in and although the teenager was whispering, it was still heard by those in the immediate vicinity. Elaina felt her eyes grow round as she stiffened slightly, but Potter simply glared at the older looking boy and then leaned in and tucked her hair behind her ear to allow him to whisper to her.

"It's okay, no one else would have heard that, Dumbledore just filled us in that there might be some gaps in your memory whilst you recover," his breath tickled her ear and neck, and Elaina quelled a shiver as she forced herself not to pull away or look across at him, knowing how close he was and how rarely she allowed anyone that near to her. "He wouldn't tell anyone anything specific so that's all Frank knows."

"Frank?" Elaina asked, surprising herself as her voice was much louder than she'd thought, and turned to look at Potter's nodding face, ignoring the way his hand fiddled with one of her curls before dropping back to his lap. "Frank Longbottom? You're Frank _Longbottom?!"_ She'd turned to address the young man who'd spoken before, and noticed his arm was tucked around the Winterbloss girl. "And you're Alice?!" It was a long shot that the two would have already been in a relationship by the time they were in fifth year, but Frank looked somewhat older than the others, so she wondered if her was in a later year than the rest.

"See? Knew she'd remember us, Alice, didn't I say?" Frank grinned as Alice's eyes welled up a little and she bumped him with her shoulder, seemingly to recover herself before grinning widely which added to her beauty as it lit her round face.

"You did, Frank, but if you can't remember some things, do you rea-" The witch cut off as Elaina slipped below the table and crawled quickly over to the opposite side. They were Neville Longbottom's parents, and although Elaina had managed to control herself over the time she'd dreamed of having been at the castle, it was impossible when her mind had supplied her with such an opportunity. Remus' face dropped below the table to give her a confused look at the uncharacteristic action, but she waved him up and pushed his leg to the side before struggling up out onto the bench beside him. Alice's bemused face began to change in the instant before Elaina's arms wrapped around the witch and she hugged her tightly. "Well, I guess that's my question answered for me!" The muffled voice came from somewhere around her collarbone, and laughter erupted around the pair.

* * *

"Potter, wait up." Elaina called after the brunette boy, or at least who she thought he was in the crowd of students now exiting the hall after dinner. She'd remained on the side with Alice and Frank for the meal but when the two of them had headed for the library she'd told them she would go up to the tower instead. Elaina wasn't sure what had changed when she'd met the young couple, but it had made her both very happy that she'd imagined them and incredibly sad over what would later happen in the books. "Potter! Black! Remus!" Elaina tried again, shouting slightly louder and just avoided bumping into a Hufflepuff who was staring at her like she'd just popped out of nowhere.

Finally, one of the boys in front of her stopped the others and they all turned, practically flattening themselves against a wall to wait for her without being crushed. Elaina's smile dropped as she realised none of them were smiling at her like they usually did, but she reached them just when the crowd thinned and so could stand awkwardly before them, panting, without being jostled too badly.

"Devereux." Pettigrew tipped his head right back as he attempted to look down his nose at her as if she were something unpleasant on the bottom of his shoe as the others looked in other directions, and Elaina's eyes grew weary as she wondered what she'd done wrong. They'd seemed as if they thought they were her friends before that one meal and despite having moved over, she'd still listened to their conversations as she had with everyone else.

"Wh... What's wrong?" Elaina asked as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth, eyes darting between them. Seconds stretched past before Sirius looked in her direction, his eyes seeming to bore into her soul. She looked away quickly to break the connection, just in case he could see something she didn't want him to. It was silly, of course, but Elaina didn't really know anything about the boys at this stage, or very little if any. "Erm... Are you going up to the dorms?" The young woman hadn't forgotten the awkwardness of teenage relationships or how they had the ability to change at the drop of a hat but this was ridiculous.

"No, we're not." Potter replied simply, his eyes moving over her as if passing judgement.

"And neither are you." Remus continued a moment later, as if finishing the other's sentence for him, and Elaina had a moment of confusion before she realised Black had moved around to stand behind her in the now empty corridor. She honestly didn't know how the students had dispersed so quickly.

"You, Miss Elaina Devereux," Sirius' breath tickled her hair as he enunciated each syllable of the name and she shivered awkwardly, turning her face to do what she couldn't earlier, meeting his eyes as she frowned at him and took a small step away. "Are coming with us. It has come to our attention-"

"-Or rather, it we overheard the whispering-" Potter butted in as he and Black began to circle her. Elaina felt a distinct unease about the action but her realisation that they were being overdramatic for an effect of some sort made her catch up, and she pursed her lips, hands dropping to her hips as she glared even harder.

"Get on with it, would you?" Remus asked, passing a tired hand over his eyes, although his smirk was enough to show the wizards and witch before him that he wasn't entirely serious. "Elaina might waste away and grow old before you get to the point."

"Ouch, Moony. How could you?" Potter asked, placing a hand on his heart before he too smirked and turned to look at Elaina again with a slightly more concerned gaze. "Don't worry, you'll not age too much before we're done-"

"But you might waste away a bit-" Pettigrew added, the bored tone showing just what he thought of what they were about to do.

"Not quite!" Remus laughed, and then turned his warm green gaze on her. "But it has come to our attention that you might need someone-"

"Or some _ones,"_ Black added as he returned to Remus' side with Potter, the two leaning against the wall before her.

"Or someones, yes... Where was I? Ah yeah, it's come to the attention of us all. The Marauders. Messers-"

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. I'm beginning to think you _all_ need to learn to get a move on." Elaina butted in, rubbing her temples in a soothing motion as their dramatics began to grate on her. Usually she would have found it amusing, but she just wanted to get over the awkward first night in the dorms and getting to know other students before she woke up. Like Lily. She wanted to meet Lily, and they were taking away from the time she had with the witch.

"Whoa. That's the Elaina we know and love!" Remus announced with a grin which dropped as he became the sole focus of her glare. "Okay, okay! We're going to make a list of all your friends and enemies at Hogwarts, and get you to memorise it so that you're safe. We thought you'd be going back with Alice so you'd be safe!" The teenager spoke quickly, his eyes wide.

"Why didn't you just say that, then?" Elaina asked, touched by the thoughtfulness but still annoyed by their long winded explanation.

"Because, dear 'Lai," Potter told her as he came up beside her and held out his hand for her to take. "Everything, and I mean _everything,_ is better when there's added drama."

Elaina rolled her eyes at the same moment as Remus and Pettigrew, which gained bright smiles from the two boys and a begrudging half smile from the witch who was still trying her hardest to give the latter a chance. For now.


End file.
